The first REAL pictures

[Hasp]

Hi everyone,

Thought you guys would like to see some real pictures.

Some info from Car Connection:
Saab at last has the vehicle it hopes will keep some of its buyers from defecting to SUVs of their own. It's Saab's own mid-size SUV, the 2005 9-7X, which bows at the New York Auto Show this week and will be available exclusively in North America.

With the 9-7X Saab is expanding its model lines to four. The Swedish brand is the fastest growing European premium nameplate on the American market, but has been missing the light-truck segment's booming sales. With its own mid-luxury SUV Saab hopes to grab its fair share of that market, which is predicted to be as big as 470,000 units by the end of 2005.

The driving force behind adding the sport-ute was market research that revealed that 39 percent of Saab drivers in the U.S. have a SUV in the household, whereas nearly 30 percent of the Saab customers have left the brand to purchase a four-door SUV.

For the 9-7X Saab had to turn to Chevrolet. The new Saab is technically based on the TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy and will be built in Ohio, becoming the second Saab with the 9-2X that is not assembled in Sweden and will not (yet) be marketed in Europe.

In December, Saab unveiled its 9-2X sports compact, based on the 4WD platform of the Subaru Impreza and built by Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan. Critics, mainly in Europe, thought Saab was going into the wrong direction, by rebadging models from other GM-divisions. But after the presentation of the 9-2X they were not so outspoken anymore. The same applies to the 9-7X, as the Swedes have brought its unique characteristics into the design of its model, both on the exterior as on the interior - for example, the center console ignition key and the distinctive air vents. The cockpit, too, is driver oriented with the instrument panel's center stack and controls angled toward the driver.

The 9-7X has a wheelbase of 113 inches and is 193.4 inches long. The luggage compartment holds up to 41 cubic feet and with the seatback folded down, 80.1 cubic feet. The 60/40 split rear seat is standard, as well as a trailer hitch receiver and cover. The V-8 model is estimated to have a maximum towing capacity of 6500 lb.

The 9-7X is tuned to be more of a driver's vehicle than its American cousins. It uses a uniquely tuned double A-arm front suspension with coil springs and a multi-link, electronically controlled rear air suspension, a low ride height, thick front stabilizer and stiff upper control arm bushings in the rear. Together with a stiffened front section of the frame, a quicker 18.5:1 steering gear ratio is designed to help improve steering precision and responsiveness.

Saab offers the 9-7X with a choice of two engines: the 4.2-liter in-line six with 275 hp and a maximum torque of 275 lb-ft and the 5.3-liter V-8 with 300 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are teamed to a four-speed automatic transmission. On demand all-wheel drive is standard on both models, while traction is enhanced by standard preloaded-clutch limited-slip differential at the rear. Four ventilated disc brakes, with aluminium dual-piston callipers up front and ABS, provide stopping power. Eighteen-inch aluminum wheels are standard (with P255/55 high performance all-season Dunlops), as well as leather trimmed seats, an advanced sound system and dual stage front airbags, head curtain side airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners with load limiters and a rollover sensing system.

Production is scheduled to start in January 2005, at GM's Ohio assembly plant. The price of the Saab 9-7X will be between $37,000 and $45,000.


Enjoy!
/HASP

[McG]

About what everyone expected, no?

They could have done something to clean up the back end...which (predictably) looks a lot like an Envoy.

I thought they would be able to massage that a bit more...

[nandanrp]

Best looking of the Envoy/TB/Ranier lineup IMO.

But wow, if you thought the 9-2X wasn't different enough from the WRX...this beats it. At least from this first glance. This is when the haters begin with their anti-GM posts :P

[al aero]

i really like it, even thought it is a truck i thinks this is what Saab needs, i an not a fan of the 9-2x thingy but this i like, pity we wont get it in Australia!!

[TYPE IXXI]

Where are the darn Pics? Where did they go

[Simon]

It looks as nice as any other SUV I can think of.

[TYPE IXXI]

It had me at hello. it is beautiful. I am sold.

[greenphotos]

I agree, finally a good SUV style car. Well done!

I'm worried that it won't look that good on the standard models though

Mark

[Jet 9-3]

Not quite as sleek as the drawings we've seen, but I guess no car is. But I like it a lot. Definitely has the Saab stamp on it

[garry]

Well........
............
............
I really like it



It hits all the right buttons.

I was expecting a very American looking 4x4 and the result is a very sleek European rework... That CAN compete with BMW, Landrover and Porsche on a pure aesthetic point of view.

The fact that its a SAAB will also place it head to head with the best from a marketing stance.

By Jingo!.... that is good enough to market in the UK !!.


The 9-2 just does not work by comparison as the base car a Subaru' was simply too unique and respected in its own right. the resulting 9-2 appearing too transparent and to a point embarrassing in its lack of SAAB identity.


Lets hope build and road tests fortify the first impression.
But for now:-

your through to the next round

[8valvegrowl]

lol...i like it much....except the damn GM truck steering wheel...very good job overall though...kudos to Saab! (Now when do we get that twin turbo I6 or V8 )

[CosmicSaab]

Originally Posted by 8valvegrowl

lol...i like it much....except the damn GM truck steering wheel...very good job overall though...kudos to Saab! (Now when do we get that twin turbo I6 or V8 )

The steering wheel was the first thing I noticed. I also see the standard GM midsize SUV gearshift and insurment cluster. I guess we should feel lucky ther are actually putting an emblem on the steering wheel instead of stamping the logo on like they even do in the Cadillac. And oh lord please tell me they are not putting in that God forsaken Bose audio system in it. The Bose systm GM uses is one of the worst stereos in the world, period. Bose or otherwise. Something also makes me thik we will not have the center ignition after all.

[CosmicSaab]

I do LOVE the two tone interior though. The interior in general is sharp.

[CosmicSaab]

I just read about the safety and it looks like it should be on target with the Volvo providing they have done something with the crash structure which has performed quite poorly in the TrailBlazer:

http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0119.htm

[edusaab]

First oficial pics......

http://autotelegraaf.nl/vanonzeredactie/?id=23154





since last weekend in media.gm.com there is a information about the presentation in NY autoshow of the 9-7x, with the banner about the info the pic it is a part of the 9-7x grill

greetings

[squishmann]

it could've been worse.

i do not like the stereo, gear shift and steering wheel

and that fake wood has to go. and what's with this 4-speed transmission? i wish they could have made the rear just a little different. at least we'll have NAVI

[squishmann]

why aren't they showing pics of it's rear?

[nandanrp]

Nice headlights, front end looks good (nice to see they put projector lenses on it).

The "standard" model will look the same from what Hasp posted - the base model comes with the 18" wheels seen.

I prophesized bad comments coming from some of you based on all the whining I have seen in the 9-2X forum...looks like I was wrong. They made the same amount of visual changes on the 9-2X that they did on the 9-7X, yet not one peep about it :P. (Things that were said about the 9-2X that also apply to the 9-7X: same door handles as the Envoy, same mirrors, nearly the same rear end, similar interior treatments, same gauges). What gives, is it just because the vehicle the 9-2X is based on is a Subaru?

Whatever the case, I am a proponent of both vehicles, I think they have done a good job on both.

[Mattlach]

Quite frankly, the styling does not interest me at all.

It doesnt matter where they put the ignition, what the car exterior looks like (save being ugly) and wheter or not they put the emblem on the stering wheel.

What is more interesting to me is will it FEEEL like driving a SAAB or will it feel like driving a dumb american SUV.

"The 9-7X is tuned to be more of a driver's vehicle than its American cousins"

This may be promising, but I am going to reserve judgement until I get a chance to drive one.

Three things I am disappointed in:

- SAAB seats provide some of the best support and long drive comfort of any cars in the world. Its too bad they used the standard GM seats in this car.

- The engines. GM engines are... well... American. They just dont feel refined enough for a SAAB. They make this gurgling noise... :P Granted SAAB really doesn't have an engine that can make a lump of metal this big move, but I would rather have seen something SAAB designed under the hood. Their engines are orders of magnitude better built. If you ask me GM should scrap ALL their other engine plants, and let the SAAB engineers make the engines for the entire company. Their engines are just that much better.

- If this is more of a drivers car than its american cousins, wheres the version with the manual transmission? Is there going to be a 9-7X Aero?


I understand why GM is doing this, but that doesnt make me like it any more This is just about as un-saab as you get. Saabs are light cars that have great handling, tend to be quite fast, and get great gas milage. The 9-7X is none of that.

Besides, I never understood why people buy SUV's anyway....

[Saba]

Originally Posted by squishmann

why aren't they showing pics of it's rear?

Probably for the same reasons they were reluctant to show the rear of the 9-2x. But I like this one. Although based on its price in the US, if it ever did come down under it would be at the top of the table as far as SUV's go. I think I would rather have the Hirsch Performance 9-5